Photo : Euronews/EBU
By Advik S Mohan and Samruddi Pathak
POLAND
Polish Space Science and Technology successfully launches EagleEye Satellite
On 18 August, the EagleEye satellite was launched by Polish Space Science and Technology. The mission was facilitated by SpaceX. The launch took place at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The project began in April 2020. The objective of the satellite is to send high-resolution images of Earth, one metre per pixel, for research and monitoring purposes. The mission is expected to last for one year. The control centre of the satellite is situated in Warsaw at Creotech Instruments headquarters. The satellite will rotate around Earth at low altitudes. It will initially start from 500 kilometres altitude and will gradually descend to 350 kilometres. Even though the satellite was designed from ground up, there were important components that were not locally manufactured. For example, Poland does not have manufacturing facilities for microprocessors. The mission represents the potential of public-private cooperation in Poland since this was a collaboration of Creotech Instruments S.A., a private company and Poland’s largest manufacturer of satellites, and the Space Research Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences, a government scientific partner. It is the largest Earth satellite built by Polish engineers, weighing around 55 kilograms. It will have various applications, ranging from agriculture to military. (“Historic milestone for Polish pace science as they successfully launch Eagleeye satellite,” Euronews, 18 August 2024)
THE EU
Turkey’s gas pipeline to become the only Russian gas supply point to Europe after Kursk incursion says Deutsche Welle
On 19 August, an article in Deutsche Welle News brought out the potential impact of Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region, vis a vis gas supplies to the European Union (EU). The Armed Forces of Ukraine had claimed the offices of Russian energy corporation Gazprom at the crucial Sudzha town were under its control, a claim denied by Russia. Sudzha acts as a processing point for gas being exported from Russia before it is supplied to the rest of Europe via Ukraine. At present, neither Russia nor Ukraine appear willing to end the gas transportation system in Sudzha; the only Russian town still processing gas through Ukraine. Ukraine has also indicated that it will not renew a five-year deal allowing Russian gas to be shipped through Ukraine, which expires in December 2024. Benjamin Hilgenstock, a senior economist at the Kyiv School of Economics believes that Ukraine will not end the Russian gas supply before the expiry of the deal, due to its goodwill with the European nations benefitting from Russian gas. EU member states still import a combined EUR 8.4 billion worth of Russian hydrocarbons but have begun the process of moving away from dependence on Russian gas. For instance, Hungary has signed a gas deal with Turkey. Its gas pipeline is likely to become the only way through which Russian gas can enter Europe. (Arthur Sullivan, “What Ukraine’s Russia incursion means for EU gas supply,” Deutsche Welle News, 19 August 2024)
Fertility crisis in Europe; Lowest birth rate since 1960
On 17 August, Eurostat released the latest data on birth rates for 2022. The number of live births in 2022 was the lowest recorded since 1960. Fertility rate is the number of babies per female. In 2022, the number of live births was 3.8 million, for the first time it was less than four million. There has been a continuous downward trend since 1960. Ireland and Finland recorded the steepest downfalls in birth rates. Meanwhile, Czechia, Romania, and Bulgaria recorded an increase. 1990 was the last year when Europe recorded more than five million births i.e., 5.1 million. In 2022, the highest fertility rate was in Georgia i.e., 1.83 and lowest was in Malta, 1.08. average of the EU as a whole was 1.46. fertility rate was 2.35 in 1970, 1.4 in 1998 and peaked in 2016 with 1.5, according to the World Bank data. Europe has the lowest fertility across the world, after East Asia and the Pacific region. The highest birth rates were recorded in Western and Central Africa at 4.98 followed by Southern Africa at 4.35 and Arab at 3.1. (“Europe's fertility crisis: Which countries are having the fewest babies?,” Euronews, 17 August 2024)
Fears of Mpox outbreak in Europe after Sweden case
On 16 August, an article in The New York Times wrote about concerns of Mpox spreading widely in Europe. The concerns came after a case of the new clade I variant was reported in Sweden, and the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a global health emergency. The infected person in Sweden had travelled to an infected area, and the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) stated that high travel between Europe and Africa meant that more cases were likely. The Centre advised countries to be more prepared and issue travel advisories for people travelling to affected areas. Pamela Rendi-Wagner, Director of the ECDC warned that Europe and North America would remain at risk as long as the outbreak in Africa was not controlled. Dr Paul Hunter, an epidemiologist at Norwich University believes there are two mpox epidemics going on now. The first is the Clade IIb variant outbreak which drove the 2022 outbreak and is spread mainly through sexual contact. The other is the deadlier Clade I variant, which differs based on how it can be spread. Clade Ia spreads through household contact and exposure to affected animals as well, not just sexual contact. On the other hand, it is indicated that Clade Ib mainly spreads through heterosexual sex. At present, Sweden is the only nation outside Africa to have reported a case of the new variant. However, public health experts have urged vigilance, with prompt treatment of patients and prioritizing testing. The EU informed it would donate over 175,000 vaccine doses to Africa. The governments of the US and France, and Danish drugmaker Bavarian Nordic have also indicated their willingness to donate vaccine doses to Africa. (Lynsey Chutel, Jenny Gross and Christina Anderson, “Mpox Case in Sweden Sets Off Concerns of Wider Spread in Europe,” The New York Times, 16 August 2024)
AUSTRIA
Floods cause damage in Alpine and rainfall in Doebling
On 18 August, news reports by Austrian media and local authorities confirmed the outbreak of heavy floods in the country. Damage in the western Alpine regions by floods was recorded through social media footage of muddy water damaging cars in the ski resort village of St Anton. The Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF), the state-owned public broadcaster brought about the impact of floods in the capital of Vienna; reporting that the Austrian Fire Brigade Association was called in over 450 times on Saturday, 17 August due to the disruption caused to rail and road transport in the capital. Kevin Hebenstreit, a meteorologist for ORF Vienna stated that the 110 litres of rain per square metres reported in the Doebling district was a record for August rainfall in the city. According to UBIMET, a weather forecasting firm, a large proportion of Vienna’s average summer rainfall was witnessed in just one hour on Saturday. Karl Nehammer, Chancellor of Austria confirmed the damage in a tweet on X, thanking officials who were attempting to rectify the damage. (“Austria battles major flooding after record downpours,” Reuters, 18 August 2024)
CYPRUS
Biologist nominated by the government for post of EU Commissioner
On 19 August, the Government of Cyprus announced that it had nominated Costas Kadis for the post of European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety. Kadis, a biologist and acting dean at The School of Health Sciences at Frederick University in Cyprus has served as Cypriot Minister of Health and Cypriot Minister of Agriculture in the past. Konstantinos Letympiotis, a spokesperson for the Government of Cyprus stated that Kadis’s ministerial experience, academic skills, and training compelled the government to select him for the post. The post became vacant after Stella Kyriakides, the incumbent Commissioner announced she would not run for a second term. According to the European Commission, EU member nations have to name their pick for the post of Commissioner by 30 August. Despite Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission requesting countries put forward both a man and a woman, several countries including Cyprus have announced only a man. (Ketrin Jochecova, “Cyprus nominates Costas Kadis as EU commissioner,” Politico, 19 August 2024)
GERMANY
Federal government to tackle knife crime through stricter regulations
On 19 August, it was reported that the Federal Government of Germany plans stricter knife laws following an increase in the number of stabbings. The country has been alarmed by the problem after reports of a 5.6 per cent year on year rise in the cases of serious bodily harm involving a knife. 430 knife attacks were reported in and around railway stations, in the first six months of 2024. In response, Nancy Faeser, German Federal Minister of the Interior and Community demanded that knives of only six centimetres be allowed, except for household knives; alongside a complete ban in switchblades. However, Dirk Baier, a German criminologist at the Institute of Crime Prevention and Delinquency in Zurich doubted the German data on knife crime, stating that both attacks and threats carried out with knives are put in the same category. Lars Wendland, chairperson of the German Trade Police Union advocated for facial recognition and random checks by police in “no weapon zones”, to prevent knife attacks from occurring in the first place. The debate around knife crime has also received a racial dimension; with far-right political party Alternative for Germany (AfD) accusing the country’s migration policy of being behind the crime rise. However, Baier argued that social circumstances rather than ethnic identity were the reason for the knife attacks increasing. (Ben Knight, “Germany getting tough on knife crime,” Deutsche Welle, 19 August 2024)
SERBIA
President criticised for controversial mine
On 19 August, Politico reported on the domestic implications of the Government of Serbia’s decision to build a mine. The Jadar deposit located in Serbia contains one of the largest reserves of lithium (known as ‘white gold’) in the world, and Aleksandar Vucic, President of Serbia plans to open a mine owned by British-Australian mining corporation Rio Tinto. The EU has supported Vucic’s plans due to own intentions of making a greener future. It is estimated that the mine could produce 58,000 metric tons by 2030 enough to power up over a million electric vehicles. However, thousands of protestors have opposed the mine, believing it would make Serbia dependent on the EU and destroy the local environment. It is feared that corrosive acids used could damage the local ecosystems in an agrarian nation. Nebojsa Petkovic, a protest leader said: “We are becoming a colony of all the great powers.” Protestors also regard the EU’s talk of democratic values as hypocritical, owing to their support of the autocratic Vucic. With Vucic calling the protests an attempt to overthrow him and the media covering the protests little, highways and thoroughfares have been blocked as a protest tactic. While, Rio Tinto has engaged in damage control, confirming that the mine will comply with all environmental regulations. (Una Hajdari, Antonia Zimmerman and Stuart Lau, “Serbia’s leader wins the West with promises of ‘white gold’- but loses the people,” Politico, 19 August 2024)